Managing medication compliance of tuberculosis patients in Haiti with medication monitors.

Abstract

This study suggests that medication monitoring of self administered treatment would be useful in settings where directly observed therapy cannot be delivered for the entire duration of treatment, especially in rural areas, by 1) identifying poor compliance early in therapy, 2) reducing the frequency of clinic visits for patients with good monitor records who live excessive distances from the clinic, 3) counseling patients about their monitor record to improve treatment completion rates, and 4) lengthening the duration of therapy when poor compliance is found.